……“Avatars have always
shown two prominent traits in their personality. One is that
of a perfect man, which would mean a perfect father, perfect
husband and perfect friend, all put into one. The other is
the vast and unfathomable power of divinity, they at times
display when it is needed. In the first role they function
as Sadgurus ¬showing examples of a perfect human life
to be emulated by others. Through their mighty divine power
they help the devotees out of distress and bring about big
changes in the society, many times through wars, for which
they had taken the human form. Sri Sainath’s life displays
both these attributes. Therefore, celebration of Baba’s birthday
on the Ramnavami day is appropriate.

Except God no one and
nothing in this world is perfect. All the imperfect beings
and things in the world which include all species get birth
because they are imperfect. Life after life they go on perfecting
themselves little by little. The meaning of life is an endeavour
to become perfect. Self¬-analysis, self-study, self-oriented
actions towards that goal and prayer to Sadguru to lead us
in that path is the only way to progress meaningfully in life.
We pray to Sadguru Sri Sainath to lead us towards perfection.”…….

FROM
"LIFE OF SAI BABA" BY NARASIMHA SWAMI

……“Nana was
under the delusion that he was the great supplier of Baba,
and that Baba had to depend upon him for money. Nana had to
be disabused of that idea. So, Baba made use of Sri M. B.
Rege on one occasion, and exhausted all the funds he had by
taking them out as dakshina, and when M. B. Rege said that
he had no more money, Baba said, ‘Borrow’. ‘From whom’ asked
Mr. Rege. Baba sent him first to Shama who had no money at
all, and who was a very poor man. Shama’s explanation of Baba’s
demand was that Baba wanted him and not his cash, and, therefore,
he (Baba) wanted him to feel the want of cash was nothing.
So saying, he sent his namaskars through Rege to Baba. Then
Baba sent Mr. Rege to H. S. Dixit who also had not the money
with him at that time. He explained Baba’s demand to Mr. Rege
thus: ‘You must not feel begging at all to be a shame, much
less begging for the sake of your master’. Then Baba sent
him to Nana Chandorkar. Nana Chandorkar then explained to
M.B. Rege his policy. He used to leave one half of his money
at Kopergaon and come with the balance to Shirdi, and when
this was exhausted, he would send for the reserve at Kopergaon.
When Mr. Rege reported this, Baba sent for Nana Chandorkar
and from him (by repeatedly asking for dakshina) all the money
he had in his possession. Then he again asked him for dakshina,
before the reserve from Kopergaron arrived. Nana felt humiliated.
His moha received a blow. The subjects of moha and dakshina
are closely connected with daana.”……

DEVOTEE'S EXPERIENCE

Why fear
when I am here

Shirdi Sai Baba is a
mystery. His birth, to whom he was born, who nurtured him,
his travels before coming to Shirdi and his scholarly interpretation
of Hindu and Muslim philosophy, baffled the most eminent scholars
who visited him. His miracles that cured any kind of suffering,
are as valid today as in the past and through them he created
millions of devotees. When Sai Baba came to Shirdi it was
a village. Today Shirdi has luxury hotels, motels and, is
full of activity.

A friend of mine is a
fighter pilot with numerous battle honours. His one and only
weakness was addiction to smoking, and however hard he tried
he was unable to give up this habit. He prayed to Shirdi Sai
Baba very sincerely, as only a miracle from Sai, would give
him the will power to leave smoking forever. One day, while
on a flying mission, he thought he saw, a figure like Sai
blessing him that his wish to leave smoking was granted. Shortly
after this experience he landed. As per usual practice his
wife was waiting with a packet of cigarettes, for she knew
he enjoyed his cigarettes as much as he enjoyed the flights.
But on that day, he took the packet and threw it away. His
wife was thrilled, and from then on, he never touched cigarettes.
He kept this vision as a secret, till I met him post school,
after three decades of his joining the air force. I had known
him as a chain smoker and so took a special brand of cigarettes
for him. He flatly refused to light the cigarette. I was amazed
at his will power in giving up this addiction. Like him, I
too had tried various ways of giving up my addiction, but
failed miserably even under threat of breathlessness. I asked
him how he had accomplished this, thinking that if he could
do it I would follow the same mantra to give up this deadly
addiction. He smiled and said that if I could become a devotee
of Sai Baba, pray religiously, put complete faith in Baba
granting my wish, then, may be, He would bless me in my dreams
and help me never to touch cigarettes.

My fervent wish is that
Sai will grant me the ability to stop smoking, to save my
breath, to witness auspicious events. Let not cigarettes take
away my breath. I do not want to take birth again just because
I wanted one more puff of a cigarette that was denied. Ramana
Maharishi compared tobacco to poison, for the poison will
kill body, mind and soul. A great English author seeing a
young man smoking remarked, I am happy that you have a useful
occupation in smoking. If one devotes one hundred percent
of one’s mind to Sai, everyday, at specified allotted time,
then Sai will occupy the mind and release one from the tobacco;
and mind and heart will no longer be slaves to this breath
killing habit.

It is nearly 87 years since the
Mahasamadhi of Sainath. Sai's grace is overflowing, throughout
the world... What we see today is spreading of Sai message
of love, compassion. A sure sign of this is the increasing
number of Shirdi Sainath temples in several countries and
in hundreds of towns in India. In large cities like Hyderabad,
Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai, one finds dozens of large temples
and innumerable small temples and shrines. In some cities,
one can find a Sai temple within a distance of even 2 or 3
kilometers. Some temples are so crowded with devotees on Thursdays
that one has to wait in a line for an hour or more for Baba's
darshan.

As a long time devotee of Sadguru
Sainath, I have observed this efflorescence of Baba devotion
for several decades. It is thrilling to observe this growth
of Sai temples in the last two decades...What could be the
reason? Is it the media power? Is it the explosion of information
technology? While these factors may help, it is just this!
SAI's grace alone has created this, for the struggling, stress-ridden
men and women of this period. It is Sai who creates this devotion,
this urge to build and maintain temples.

I often like to think that in course
of time, may be next decade or so, a new religion in the name
of SAI would come into being...call it SAISM or by any other
name.. SAISM will be the new religion of universal LOVE, with
Shraddha and Saburi as watch words, irrespective of the formal
religion one is born with or had adopted earlier. The building
of numerous temples is only an indication of this direction.
How blessed we are to be born and live in this period---with
Sai's grace.

It is needless to search
for God elsewhere. Only thoughts of God and intense love for
Him can bring peace. As worldly thoughts diminish, thoughts
of God increase..Sathya Sai Baba says that our daily prayer
should be..Loka Samalangha,Sukshina Bhavanta or May all people
of the world be happy...By constant prayer, man can overcome
any difficult situation. The soul will be in a state of continuous
peace that never deserts it. Prayers purify the mind from
selfishness and hatred. A constant remembering of God (as
did Shirdi Sai) purifies the mind from impurities that are
accumulated in it and can raise us to spiritual radiance.

Who are now the five great
masters (Qutb) living in year 2005 in this world? I would
appreciate if any reader can tell me.

“I like this magazine
a lot. Baba’s messages are just an inspirational force for
me. Whenever I feel sad or disheartened, I read these messages
and other people’s experience about their miracles.”Dimple Sharma, Delhi

Friday Sep 29, 2006 - Monday Oct 2, 2006
Devotees are invited to attend and participate in Shirdi Sai
Baba Murthi Pratishta Mahotsav during the auspicious days
of Navratri from Friday, Sep 29 until Monday, Oct 2 - Vijaya
Dashami, Baba's Maha Samadhi day. Pranapratistha ceremonies
will be conducted on Shirdi Sai Baba's life-like Murthi across
four days to the accompaniment of sacred Vedic rites, Bhajans,
Naam Sankirtan and Satcharita Prayan. Garba, Dandia and other
cultural activities are also planned during all days of Mahotsav.
Please mark your calendars and do not miss this rare opportunity
to receive Baba's Grace and be immersed in Divine Bliss. For
details please visit www.theshirdisaimandir.com/
or send an email to info@theshirdisaimandir.com
or call 647-444-4724.

Persatuan Shirdi Sai Baba Selangor, Malaysia

I belong to the Shirdi Sai Group (registered as Persatuan
Shirdi Sai Baba, Selangor), Malaysia. Sai Ram everybody. This
to inform the Baba devotees in Malaysia and Singapore that
every Thursday we conduct prayers in the morning at 9.00 am
and bhajans and satsang in the evenings 7.30 pm onwards. Anyone
who is interested in joining us may please contact SP Kannan
at 012-2739486; or Usha at 012-2392911; or Res: 03-33717540.
Also if you come across any Malaysian devotees, please direct
them to us. Thank you and Sai Ram.

As ordained by Sri Shirdi
Sai Baba, we welcome all of you with family and Devotees,
to join us for Shri Shirdi Sai Punyatithi on 02-10-2006. You
are all hereby requested to participate and receive the blessings
of Sri Shirdi Saibaba

You may have given many different
gifts to your friends and loved ones, but giving a subscription of
"Heritage of Shirdi Sai" magazine would be a unique gift as it
connects the people you love with SADGURU SHIRDI SAI and brings His
blessings with the gift.

Topic
of Discussion feature is intended to initiate useful discussions on
topics related to Shirdi Sai Philosophy and His teachings, Guru
Tradition, Teachings of the Sadguru, the nature and functions
of the Perfect Masters, true devotion, qualification of a disciple,
etc.

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